Born on the 5th of July
by ynotlleb
Summary: TBBT TNG. The lives of the children of Sheldon/Amy and Leonard/Penny.
1. Xmas news

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 1. Penny and Amy both have some news at the Social Group's Xmas party. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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By the end of 2018 Amy and Sheldon had been married for a year, they still lived across the hall from Penny and Leonard. On Xmas eve the whole gang was getting together for an Xmas party, both Penny and Amy had some big news to tell their friends.

Penny took her husband's hand and said "Now that everyone is here I can tell you all the big news. I'm pregnant, we are going to have a baby around next July!"

Sheldon said "I don't believe it."

Leonard replied "What's not to believe buddy, the doctor confirmed it yesterday."

Then Amy said "Well believe this everybody, I'm pregnant, our little homo novus will be coming around the end of June!"

Then suddenly everyone was cheering and laughing and crying and hugging. All this excitement was too much for Howard and Bernadette's daughter Deborah, who burst into tears.

Bernadette gathered up her daughter and said with a smile "Congratulations my friends, listen to your future!"

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Over the next six months everything revolved around the new summer arrivals. Amy and Penny went to pre-natal classes together. Sheldon started to plan and plan and plan for the birth of his child. He wouldn't let Amy do anything strenuous until Amy put her foot down. Sheldon surprised everyone by learning to drive in less than a month. Every week he would practice the drive from the apartment to the hospital. Sheldon also used his own money to get the elevator fixed in the apartment building, to save Amy (and Penny) the climb up and down stairs.

Leonard converted Sheldon's old room into a nursery. Sheldon and Amy both realised that Penny's old apartment would be too small for them in the future, but they decided to look for a new home after the baby was born.

Amy's baby was due to be born around June 26th, whereas Penny had to wait until around July 10th for her baby. Leonard, Sheldon and Amy were all scientific enough to know that these dates had fairly large error bars.

By the start of June Sheldon was working from home and waiting on Amy hand and foot. There was a baby bag permanently by the front door and there was another bag in the car. June 26th came and went, Sheldon was getting more and more concerned. On July 4th the whole gang was getting ready to go onto the roof of the apartment building to watch the evening fireworks display when Amy politely said to Sheldon.

"I don't want to see fireworks, can you please take me to the hospital instead."

10 minutes later Sheldon was pulling into the hospital car park and Amy was whisked away to the delivery room. The rest of the gang arrived a few minutes later and set up camp in the waiting room. Half an hour later Penny said to Leonard "Well it's a good job I am here. Leonard, delivery room NOW!"


	2. Welcome home

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 2. Meet the new arrivals. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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Just after 3.00am a stunned looking Sheldon returned to the waiting room.

"It's a girl, Marie Constance Cooper, after Madame Curie and Meemaw. Everyone is doing well. Where are Leonard and Penny?"

Thirty seconds later Leonard appeared with a big grin on his face. "It's a boy, Richard Wyatt Hofstadter, after Feynman and Penny's father. Hi buddy, how is Amy doing?"

As she hugged the new fathers Bernardette said "We aren't going to forget the 5th of July!"

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On 6th of July the new families returned home. All six of them travelled up in the elevator to the 4th floor. There was a constant stream of family and friends coming to visit, the new parents found this quite a struggle, especially Amy and Penny. The babies did a lot of sleeping and a lot of crying, although the babies were calmer when Richard and Marie were together.

The new parents settled into a routine, when Sheldon and Leonard returned to work then Amy and Penny would help each out during the day. One mother would look after both babies when the other got some sleep. Penny and Leonard helped out when Amy and Sheldon started house hunting.

In January 2020 Amy and Penny returned to work, Richard and Marie went to the same childcare facility. Neither child enjoyed being away from their parents although both were calmer in the presence of each other. Richard and Marie found themselves growing up as pseudo-twin siblings.


	3. Growing up and breaking up

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 3. Marie and Richard are growing up. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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In 2024 Marie and Richard started school together, they were the same age! As pseudo-twins they were always there for each other, even if it didn't stop them fighting each other like real siblings. Sheldon remarked one day, as he saw them arguing over something childishly trivial. "Just like I did with Missy."

In the second half of the 2020s the social group started to break up. Raj returned to his alma mater to become Professor of Astrophysics at Cambridge University. Howard, Bernardette and Deborah moved to Texas when Howard got a new job at NASA. Then in 2030 Leonard and Penny moved to New York when Leonard got a Professorship at Columbia.

Richard and Marie were devastated when they found out they would be living on different coastlines. They had looked forward to going to High School together.

The gang tried their best to keep in touch, at first there were regular Skype sessions. The four men tried to play an online video game together but they all had busy lives and they only got all four together once. The Wolowitz family would come to California once a year to visit with relatives and they would sometimes come and see Sheldon, Amy and Marie. The only time everyone got together was in Stockholm when Sheldon won the 2034 Nobel Prize.

Marie and Richard tried the hardest to keep the long distance friendship going, they never forgot each other's birthday :-)

As the social group gradually broke up Sheldon and Amy got closer to some more of their Caltech colleagues. Bert the geologist became a closer friend, for all of Sheldon's protestations that "Geology isn't a real Science", they found out through Bert all the fascinating things Physics could deduce about geological materials. Marie inherited her parents intelligence and love of Science and always found it fascinating when Bert would come to visit and talk about rocks.

Over in New York Leonard befriended some Columbia chemists, Penny impressed her husband's friends with how much chemistry she had picked up from her work in pharmaceuticals. She would even sit in on some pharmaceutical chemistry classes just for fun. Richard was a great help in helping his mother understand some of the more obscure bits of Chemistry.


	4. Another birthday

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 4. Marie and Richard celebrate another birthday. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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July 5th 2037. As usual Marie and Richard remembered their birthday.

Marie "Happy 18th Birthday my dear Richard"

Richard "Happy 18th Birthday my dear Marie"

Marie "How is New York?"

Richard "Hectic as ever, I wish I was back in California."

Marie "No place like home?"

Richard "You said it sister."

Marie "How are your parents doing?"

Richard "Busy as ever, but I think they are missing California as well. As they get older they are finding the New York winters a bit of a struggle."

Marie "Tell them to come and visit."

Richard "How are your parents, it was good to see them 3 months ago when your Dad gave a lecture at Columbia?"

Marie "Dad is always going somewhere as a Nobel prize winner. He will go anywhere to lecture if he can go there on the train! Mom is still doing some Brain Science."

Richard "Have you heard from any of the others?"

Marie "I heard from Deborah, she has been having a good time studying in Chicago."

Richard "Does she still want to be a lawyer?"

Marie "It depends what day of the week it is, some days it's writer, other days it's musician."

Richard "Maybe she will be a lawyer who writes songs?"

Marie "Did you get the usual gift from Uncle Raj?"

Richard "Yes, the usual package came from Cambridge 2 days ago."

Marie "Talking of Cambridge I have some big news."

Richard "Oh do tell my dear Marie."

Marie "I have been accepted to Harvard this fall. I am going to major in Geology."

Richard "Wow"

Marie "Mom is thrilled I got into her alma mater. Dad made his usual joke about Geology not being a real Science, but he is thrilled as well."

Richard "Well listen to this sister, I'm going to Harvard in the fall as well. I will major in Chemistry."

Marie "FANTASTIC, together again at last."

Richard "See you there!"


	5. Together at Harvard

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 5. Marie and Richard are reunited at Harvard. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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September 2037. After being apart for nearly 3 years Marie and Richard were finally reunited at Harvard, their reunion was full of laughter, tears and hugs. They were staying in the same dorm for their first year so they saw each other every day. Just like when they were in school they would look out for each other as the started their University careers together.

Both of their fathers were happy to know that they took a freshman Physics course together. After lifetimes living with Physicists they both found it very easy. Their instructor was amazed that Geology and Chemistry majors were doing so well at Physics, when the instructor found out who she was the instructor asked Marie if she could get her father's autograph. A week later Sheldon sent an autographed copy of his "String Theory for dummies" book. They both signed up for freshman Chemistry and Geology, knowing that if they had any problems they knew who could help. Richard found Geology surprisingly easy, until he accompanied Marie on a field trip in the rain, then he found it less easy.

As Richard was Penny's son he was a lot more sociable and outgoing than Marie, the daughter of Sheldon and Amy. Richard was always going to parties, he tried to drag Marie along with him but she was never that keen. Finally in the summer, Marie agreed go with Richard to an end of exams party. Richard was having a great time, he was the life and soul of the party. However, he could see that Marie was finding it more and more uncomfortable, so he took her back to her dorm room.

Marie "Thanks for getting me out of there, sorry for ruining your party."

Richard "Not a problem, we look out for each other. You are like your father in not liking crowds of strangers."

Marie "You can go back to the party, but I must tell you that I don't think much of your friends. You would think that Harvard students would be smarter than that. You can do better than that my dear Richard."

Richard "Oh my dear Marie, I bet you are just jealous of seeing me with all those pretty girls."

Marie "You bet I am!"

Richard "Oh, my dear Marie."

Marie "Oh my dear Richard, shut up and kiss me."


	6. Texas reunion

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 6. The Great Texas Reunion. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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At the end of their first year together at Harvard Marie travelled to New York with Richard for a couple of days so they could spend their birthday together and Marie could visit with Uncle Leonard and Aunt Penny. They were very sad to say goodbye to each other when it was time for Marie to head back to the west coast. Marie was going to spend the summer working in Bert's Geology lab and Richard was going to help his father out in the lab.

When Marie got home she was in contact with Richard every day, keeping their new relationship going long distance. However, they knew that they would be seeing each other soon. In August 2038, for the first time since Stockholm, the old gang was going to get together in Texas for the wedding of Deborah Wolowitz. Deborah had just graduated from the University of Chicago and she was marrying her college boyfriend. After their honeymoon Deborah and Simon were going to return to Chicago together to start Law School.

Raj flew over from England, the Hofstadters headed west, the Cooper family made a flying visit to visit Missy and her family before travelling to Houston for the wedding and reunion hosted by Howard and Bernadette. A great time was had by all as they relived old times. Raj remarked that he was still unmarried when his best friends daughter was a married woman! Sheldon and Leonard had a long scientific chat together, the upshot was Leonard coming over to Caltech for a 6 month sabbatical in the New Year. Everyone remarked on the change in Marie and Richard's relationship, they wondered how long it would be until the next great wedding reunion?

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In their second year at Harvard Richard took some more Geology courses so he could spend more time with his girlfriend Marie. Richard didn't go to as many parties, but when he did go Marie would always go with him. In the Xmas vacation they travelled to New York together and then flew to California with Leonard and Penny at the start of the sabbatical. Whilst they were in California they both had a meeting with Bert to discuss possible graduate school ideas. After the meeting Bert contacted some of his geological friends at Harvard to find out more about the Wunderkind children of his friends. Both Marie and Richard spent the summer working in Bert's lab.

Leonard and Penny had a great time back in California, they were 6 month house guests in Sheldon and Amy's house, just like old times! They enjoyed it so much that they didn't want to go back, Leonard and Sheldon's scientific collaboration was very fruitful. In the summer Leonard and Penny went back to New York to sort out their affairs and sell their house, as in October 2039 Leonard officially returned to Caltech.


	7. A date to remember

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 7. A date to remember. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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Richard and Marie returned to Harvard to start their third year with places for both of them as graduate students in Bert's Caltech lab already arranged. They would start at the beginning of the following academic year. They would both be working on a very exciting project looking at extraterrestrial rocks, samples returned by spacecraft from the Moon, Mars and asteroids! All they had to do was complete their studies at Harvard, which they were both on schedule to do in 3 years. They spent most of their time studying Geology and Chemistry, as preparation for graduate school they would both go to relevant academic seminars in geochemistry.

As much as they were enjoying their time at Harvard they were both keen to ensure that they would only have to go through one more Massachusetts winter, they were both looking forward to getting back home to California.

Then one cold snowy day in December the following conversation took place.

Marie "So my dear Richard, next summer we go back home to California."

Richard "That's right my dear Marie, I can't wait for us to get back there."

Marie "If everything works out as we have planned then we should have our final exams before we graduate, in the middle of June. We should be back home in time for our 21st birthday."

Richard "Yes, we should definitely do something to celebrate."

Marie "I know what we can do to celebrate, we could get married on the 5th of July?"

Richard "Are you serious my dear Marie?"

Marie "Absolutely my dear Richard"

Richard "Well it would be one less date to remember!"

Marie "Oh Richard, shut up and kiss me..."


	8. Crystalline Carbon

TBBT The Next Generation. Part 8. Crystalline Carbon. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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At Xmas 2039 Marie and Richard waited until they saw both sets of parents together before they spilled the beans.

Richard "Dear parents, I thought you would like to know that we have been doing a geological experiment, we have been studying crystalline carbon formed at high temperatures and pressures."

Then Marie took her hand out of Richard's hand and revealed the diamond ring.

"We're engaged!"

Penny "Yes"

Amy "Congratulations"

Leonard "Wonderful"

Sheldon "About time - Bazinga :-)"

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In the New Year of 2040 Marie and Richard returned to Harvard to start their last 6 months as undergraduates. They worked hard at their studies but they were also busy planning their great 21st birthday and wedding party. Another great reunion was planned for the 5th of July.

In June Marie and Richard finished their exams, they both graduated "summa cum laude" even though they had graduated in 3 years instead of 4. They had a farewell party and then returned to California for the great event.

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In July 2040 the great wedding reunion began. Raj came over from England, Howard and Bernadette came from Texas, as did Missy and her family. Deborah and Simon came from Chicago. Bert and the rest of their future graduate school colleagues were also invited.

On July 4th, unlike 21 years earlier, everyone got together to watch the firework display. Then next day, July 5th 2040, on their 21st birthday Marie Constance Cooper married Richard Wyatt Hofstadter.

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Richard and Marie had a 2 month honeymoon in Europe. They stayed for a couple of weeks with Raj in Cambridge and had a meeting with some Cambridge University geologists, who they would be collaborating with when they started their graduate school project in the fall. However, they spent most of their time together and enjoyed a break from academic science as they travelled around different countries.


	9. Born of the 5th of July

TBBT The Next Generation. Last Part. Born on the 5th of July. Everything belongs to Lorre and Prady.

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Richard was awarded his doctorate in March 2044. Marie didn't finish her doctorate at the same time as her husband, but she had a good reason for being slower, she was pregnant! The baby was due to arrive in mid July, Marie managed to defend her thesis in mid June to become Dr Cooper-Hofstadter.

She completed just in time, on July 4th she went to the same hospital where she and Richard were born. Early in the morning of July 5th expectant grandparents Leonard, Penny, Sheldon and Amy were all in the waiting room when Richard emerged with the news

"It's a boy, Charles Sheldon Leonard Hofstadter."


End file.
